Well, here we are almost at the beginning of another school year. As excited as we can be about our kids going back to school, I know we can also be concerned about what to expect from a new year with new teachers, a new curriculum, and just the nervousness of not knowing what to expect in the next grade.

What if you could help your kids (or grandkids) excel in spite of those new circumstances? That is what I want to share with you today. We all learn in different ways and understanding how we learn best will set us up for success forever. And, if we can teach our kids how THEY learn best we can help make the school year just a little bit easier.

At Family Martial Arts Academy we have partnered with Toni Candelari owner of Boundless Achievements tutoring to help our students identify and understand how they learn best. So, Toni Candelari gives all of her students a survey based on the VARK learning theory. This theory is that there are four styles of learning Visual, Aural/Auditory, Verbal, and Kinesthetic learners.

• Visual learning (pictures, movies, diagrams)
• Auditory learning (music, discussion, lectures)
• Reading and writing (making lists, reading textbooks, taking notes)
• Kinesthetic learning (movement, experiments, hands-on activities)

Visual Learners

These types of learners need to see a representation of the material. This can be done with charts, graphs, different colors, or even flashcards. For more ideas check out this website.

Auditory

These types of learners need to hear the information-whether that be musical, recording themselves saying the material, creating a song, or just having music playing to help them retain the information better. You can find more tools here.

Verbal

This type of learner needs to read and write the information to retain it better. This can be done by taking notes, copying the information multiple times, or reading the information. Here are more tools for verbal learners.

Kinesthetic

This type of learner needs to do it–it can be physically, in the way of a game, or even with a puzzle. They need the information to be interactive and engaging. Look here for ideas for your kinesthetic learners.

I hope this sheds some light on how to help your kids be a Rock Star this school year. If you want to get together with a group of parents looking to do the same thing and set your kids up for success we invite you to join us for our Back To School Event. It is Saturday, August 27th, 9 am – 11 am and we are going to determine their learning styles, demonstrate how they learn and teach them how to advocate for themselves when they are in a classroom that does not support their learning style. Register here: https://bit.ly/FMAABackToSchool22.